In addition to the Silverado EV and Sierra EV, GM might be developing a smaller electric pickup truck that could attract a new generation of truck buyers. The compact truck’s sketches were revealed on Instagram by Darby Jean Barber, a GM designer.

The truck has a sleek design borrowing DNA from the Silverado, including LED headlights and daytime running lights, a skid plate, tow hooks, and hood vents. It has an extended cab layout, with large front doors and small rear doors. The bed is relatively short, but it may have some smart storage features.  A crew cab is needed too, but either would be perfect for Home Depot duty.

The back of the truck is equally impressive, with a full-width LED light bar and horizontal LED lights under the Chevrolet emblem.This render has huge wheels and knobby tires that rarely make it to production, but whether this rig would have AWD is unknown.  A single motor would be fine for on-pavement duty and more than enough for around town.

Chevrolet has not shared much about this smaller electric pickup truck, such as its name, specs, or launch date. It is not clear if it will even go into production, or if it is just a design exercise. However, it reveals Chevrolet is exploring different possibilities for its electric truck lineup, which will soon include the Silverado EV with up to 450 miles of range per charge, DC fast-charging tech, dual electric motors, all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, adaptive air suspension, locking differentials, and up to 10,000 pounds of towing capacity.

Electrified Mag’s Take: If there were ever an opportunity for GM, an Ultium-based, EV compact truck fits the bill. Ford has an out-of-the-ballpark hit with the Maverick truck and caught Chevrolet flatfooted. A $30K, baby Bow Tie cargo hauler would beat Ford (and Toyota) to the punch with a small electric truck.

To keep it light, simple, and cheap, give it a range of 250 miles, and just enough amenities for modern motorists. We say resuscitate the LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) badge and watch the sales go ballistic. A Chevy LUV would be a hit with fleet buyers as well from utility companies to parking enforcement as well. A cool, small EV truck might even rekindle the small truck custom craze from the Seventies as well. 

2008 Hummer H4 Concept

Hey GM, while you’re at it, may we have an Ultium-based Wrangler competitor like the Hummer H4 concept showed waaaaay back in 2008? Christened it the GMC Hummer Jimmy and convert all your salesman across the country into order takers. 

The hiccup in all this is GM’s lagging ability to ramp up and scale battery production. As Elon Musk himself has admitted, making EVs is hard and GM is going through its very own version of “production hell” as I type this. Hopefully, the light at the end of the tunnel will be bright and the General can begin to fill the pipeline with its modern, clean-sheet EVs.